


Is that a ringpop on your hand?

by Kibbles



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Teen Titans - All Media Types, The Flash - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Birdflash - Freeform, Fake Dating, Fluff, M/M, Minor Angst, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 06:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19371529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kibbles/pseuds/Kibbles
Summary: Written for Birdflash week: Day 4 - "Fake dating"Dick's been admitted to the hospital, Wally needs to do some quick thinking if he wants to visit his best friend.





	Is that a ringpop on your hand?

    Wally wasn't unfamiliar with hospitals. He had visited many across the world, either as a patient himself or as a visitor. No matter where it was located, the facilities were laid out almost the same way: a waiting room with a ticket distributor and a nurse, sometimes sitting at a desk, distributing forms to be filled. The neon lights reflecting on the all too white walls were a promise of getting a headache, but most likely were the reason as to why the always present potted plant seemed to thrive in the environment.  
Gotham's hospital wasn't much different. It was big enough to have multiple entries: one for walk-ins, one used only for ambulances bringing emergencies and one main entrance that was mostly used by everyday people. Lastly, a fourth entrance had been funded by the Wayne Foundation and was used for people who wanted more private access to health care. These included some homeless people, sex workers and victims who were too uncomfortable to enter by the main door. Surprisingly, a lot of teenagers and young adults with secrets that mustn't fall into the ears of their entourages also preferred to use this door.

But all these categories and labels didn't matter to Wally once he learned that the oh so famous Dick Grayson had been admitted to the hospital late at night. Even before his own heart could produce another beat, Wally had run all 653 kilometres that separated Central to Gotham and was standing in front of the desk.

Wide green eyes stared at the older woman who didn't pay him much attention. "Where is he?" Ever so slightly out of breath, Wally could feel his heartbeat catch up with his speed. It was such a strange feeling, and he doubted he would ever get used to his heart rate rise for a second to the point where his chest ached. "Dick - I mean, Richard Grayson's been admitted here right? Is he okay?"

After what felt like eternity to the speedster, the nurse's fingers ceased their run on the keyboard. "I already told all the media that he is in no state to hold an interview." Wally opened his mouth, but she cut him short. "And no. Bribing me into letting you sneak past to get a picture of Mr. Grayson will not work." The woman looked annoyed, the dark circles under her eyes hinting that she was experiencing one of the longest, most tiresome night shifts of her career. "Only family members can visit him, and seeing how the lot of 'em are; I would recommend you scramble before the Waynes see you."

Wally was shocked, to say the least. How many times did she have to repeat the same sentences to people who were only interested in getting a scoop, he wondered? "You don't understand," he retorted, "I _am_ family."

There was a silence as one of the nurse's eyebrow rose high enough to accentuate the wrinkles on her forehead. She checked Wally up and down, the young man suddenly feeling self-aware of the mess that his hairdo must look like after running all the way from home. "You don't really match the Waynes' type."

Wally sighed before putting on his most sincere and determined face. "I'm his fiancé. Soon to be husband, actually."

 

A short silence.

 

The woman suddenly burst into loud laughter. "This," she began, "this was definitely a first."

Wally felt heat turn his cheeks red. "It's true!" His voice cracked as he pointed at the ring, ornating one of his fingers. "Don't you have a list or something? My name should be there." He waved an arm toward the stack of papers. "Wally West. Just, look it up pretty please?" The young adult sounded almost desperate.

The nurse's laughter faded away as she looked through some files, her eyes scanning the list that Bruce Wayne had personally handed in with the names of people who were allowed to go to Richard's chamber. She didn't hide her surprise as Wally's name was indeed written down, she looked up to Wally who, for just a moment, looked the most stunned between the two.

"You... May go ahead." The nurse said, still looking shocked. She gave him the directions on how to reach the room and advised him that Dick might be asleep.

Wally quickly thanked her before hurrying down the hall before the nurse could change her mind. While walking, he looked at the rectangular boards that were secured on the wall and contained directions to the radiology, emergency and many other parts of the building. As if he was worried to forget, Wally chanted Dick's room number inside his head like a mantra. It also helped to keep his mind off of the unpleasant smell coming from the chemicals used to keep the facility free of germs.

 

    Once he finally found the room, Wally's anxiety decided to finally kick in. He was worried about what was hiding behind the other side of the door, about finding out in what state his best friend was. His clammy hand rested on the handle; he wasn't sure if he was supposed to knock or not. "Come on you big chicken." He scolded under his breath before pushing the door open.

The room was made of only one bed - a privilege that was only allowed to people who could afford that kind of luxury - two empty seats and a variety of monitors. Wally recognized the classical heart monitor that was rhythmically beeping in the background. An IV pump with two bags of fluids was resting close to the bed and, if one listened carefully, the sound of the fluid moving through the line could be heard.  
But Wally paid no mind to the machinery and decoration of the room; his eyes went straight to the man laying down on the bed. Dick was looking right at him, a twinkle of surprise inside his deep blue eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected to see his best friend once the door opened. "Am I high or what?" He asked, almost too casually.

Without wasting any time or movement, Wally found himself pulling a chair close to the bed. "How are you doing?" His voice was full of concern, his eyes filled with worry as he scanned the younger man for any visible wounds. There were a few familiar scars on his face and arms, his bottom lip was slipped, and a new bruise was forming over his cheekbone. "What happened to you?"

Dick smiled when Wally took his hand in his and began making soothing circles with his thumb while being careful not to disturb the bandages that kept the butterfly catheter in place. "I was driving my bike when a kid popped out of nowhere. I managed to avoid it but somehow ended up crashing." Dick chuckled at how ridiculous it sounded. "You would think this would never happen to someone like me. At least I never thought it would. But it did and next thing I know I was in an ambulance with an oxygen mask on my face and all."

"But I'm mostly just bruised and got some ugly road rashes," Dick added before Wally could say anything. "Even though Bruce wanted me to stay for at least the night."

Wally's shoulders dropped, the tension fading from him at long last. "I'm glad to hear you're okay." He looked down at their joined hands. "When I heard you were at the hospital, I could only think of the worse."

Dick gave him a sympathetic smile before asking: "By the way, how did you get past the nurse at the front desk?"

At that, Wally smiled and seemed slightly embarrassed. "She said only family members could visit," he started, "so I told her we were soon to be husbands."

There was a short pause before Dick laughed out loud. "And they believed it?"

"Not really." Wally looked a little bummed to admit his plan only half worked. "But they checked the list of people who were allowed to visit you and my name was in it."

They exchanged a look. "Ah, so Bruce listened to me and finally added you to the golden list?" Dick was smiling in a way that made Wally's heart melt. "I've been asking him since I was thirteen. Before we became a little more than best friends."

The two chuckled as they gazed into each other's eyes. They could feel the sparks coming from their chemistry. There was some mystical force encouraging them to lean a little closer, close enough that they would be able to close the distance separating them.

Just as they were about to kiss, Dick suddenly got distracted by a particular accessory on Wally's hand.

 

"Wait a minute, is that a ring pop on your hand?"


End file.
